WEF and Accenture Set Out the Path for a Global Energy Transition

Image Credit: Vattenfall

The World Economic Forum has partnered with Accenture to release a new report on the extent to which countries are contributing to the global energy transition.

In a joint statement, Roberto Bocca, Head of the Centre for Energy and Materials, Member of the Executive Committee, WEF, and Musqit Ashraf, Global Strategy Lead, Accenture, say: “There is no single blueprint. 

“Countries will follow different paths at different speeds.

Roberto Bocca, Head of the Centre for Energy and Materials, Member Executive Committee, WEF

“Ensuring a durable and inclusive transformation requires alignment between ambition, finance, and delivery – guided by market signals, grounded in local realities, and supported by international cooperation. 

“The 2025 ETI offers a data-driven tool to align ambition with action and build more resilient, equitable, and sustainable energy systems. 

“Developed with Accenture and key data partners, it reflects shared insights into global energy challenges and opportunities.”

The United Nations has established 17 Sustainable Development Goals, each designed to address significant global challenges. One of the most pressing is Goal 7, Affordable and Clean Energy, which falls under the direction of Francesco La Camera, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency. This goal seeks to ensure that everyone has access to reliable, modern, and sustainable energy. Yet despite progress, the UN warns that at the current pace of change, some 645 million people could remain without electricity by 2030, while as many as 1.8 billion people may still depend on polluting fuels and cooking methods.

The UN stresses that the transition can be accelerated if governments and industries direct more investment toward renewables, adopt energy-efficient practices, and push for cleaner infrastructure.

That is the backdrop for the World Economic Forum and Accenture’s report, Fostering Effective Energy Transition 2025.

So how does it work? The study tracks the progress of 118 countries through the Energy Transition Index. Each country receives a score between 0 and 100, with higher numbers representing stronger performance. The index measures two key aspects: the current functioning of an energy system and its preparedness for the future.

The findings paint a mixed picture. Global energy demand has grown by 2.2 percent, the fastest rate in a decade.

Musqit and Roberto say, “The 2025 edition of the Fostering Effective Energy Transition report arrives amid growing geopolitical, technological, and climate-related disruption. 

Image Credit: WEF

“Rather than a single transition, the world is undergoing a broader transformation – redefining how energy is produced, consumed, and governed. 

“This is being driven by mounting climate risks, accelerated innovation, fractured global cooperation, and rising pressure to deliver reliable, affordable, and low-emission energy systems.”

Rising demand is linked to greater cooling needs, the surge in electrification, and the rapid growth of artificial intelligence. While overall Energy Transition Index scores improved by 1.1 percent year-over-year, and energy system performance rose by 1.2 percent, readiness levels actually decreased by 0.8 percent. By comparison, the average over the past decade had been closer to 1.2 percent.

The World Economic Forum notes that while there has been a rebound in 2025, the picture remains uncertain. Geopolitical conflict, financial instability, and climate shocks continue to weigh heavily on global energy systems. Investments in clean energy surpassed $2 trillion in 2024, but this still falls far short of the $ 5.6 trillion that the Forum believes is needed annually by 2030. Carbon dioxide emissions, meanwhile, reached 37.8 billion tonnes in 2024, and clean energy accounted for only 14.8 percent of the global primary energy mix. Electricity accounted for 49 percent, highlighting a contrast between the progress in power generation and the broader energy landscape.

Geopolitical tensions, particularly across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, have further complicated matters. The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2025 named state-based conflict as the single biggest global threat. Such instability is disrupting supply chains and making access to essential resources for renewables, batteries, and grids more difficult.

Roberto and Musqit continue, “Today’s transition is not linear. 

“Energy systems are being restructured in response to diverging national priorities, and decentralisation and digitalisation are creating new supply and consumption models. 

“Elsewhere, industrial policy, energy sovereignty, and mineral security have come to the forefront. 

“These shifts do not displace climate ambition but increasingly embed it within broader goals for resilience, competitiveness, and development.”

Despite these challenges, many countries have made strides. By 2025, 65 percent had improved their Energy Transition Index score, although only 28 percent showed progress across the three pillars of security, equity, and sustainability. Sweden, Finland, and Denmark retained the top three spots, largely thanks to robust infrastructure, reliable low-carbon systems, and stable long-term policies.

China climbed the rankings to twelfth place, its best showing yet, driven by heavy investment and technological innovation. The United Kingdom ranked sixteenth, just ahead of the United States, which ranked seventeenth. At the other end of the scale, the Democratic Republic of Congo sat in last position.

Image Credit: WEF

Sweden’s performance stood out in particular. With a score of 77.5, the country benefited from substantial R&D investment, effective carbon pricing, a resilient credit rating, and growth in clean jobs. It also held advantages in low-carbon technologies and maintained some of the lowest methane emissions globally.

Among the companies leading this transformation is Sweden’s Vattenfall. The utility has placed fossil-free electricity at the core of its mission, arguing that it will become the dominant energy source in the future. Its strategy is built around five focus areas: accelerating decarbonization, connecting and optimizing energy systems, ensuring a fossil-free supply, maintaining high-performing operations, and empowering its workforce.

The overall message of the report is clear and concise. While the world is inching forward, progress is uneven, and the gap between ambition and reality remains wide. The coming years will be decisive in determining whether clean energy targets can truly be met.

Image Credit: Vattenfall

Roberto and Muqsit conclude that “The 2025 ETI reflects this evolving reality. 

“Clean energy investment surpassed US$2 2tn and 65% of countries improved their performance. 

“Yet progress remained uneven. 

“Advanced economies and emerging Europe focused on infrastructure and grid upgrades, while emerging Asia advanced through rising investment and innovation, and Sub-Saharan Africa improved most in regulation and policy. 

“Systemic constraints – from limited institutional capacity to financing and infrastructure barriers – continued to hamper progress, especially in low-income economies with fast-growing demand and constrained capital access.”